Most electronic files created by an application program have an external identifier tag assigned by the particular application program that was used to create the electronic file. The external identifier tag, which identifies the format in which the electronic file is stored, is a separate indicator that is attached to the electronic file. Generally, there are numerous specific file formats, such as word processing, database, spreadsheet, and graphics files. These specific file formats contain specialized information that only the application, which was used to create the electronic files, can fully interpret. Therefore, it is important that the application program used to create the electronic file is able to recognize and open the electronic file.
One way to associate the electronic files with the application program that created them is to use extensions. Extensions are a set of predefined characters added to the file name by the application program. This method of associating an electronic file with an application program is used by many computer operating systems, such as the “WINDOWS 98” operating system manufactured by the Microsoft Corporation of Redmond, Wash. For example, if a spreadsheet program such as Microsoft Corporation's “EXCEL” program, is used to create an electronic spreadsheet file, the spreadsheet program appends the extension “.XLS” at the end of the filename each time the electronic file is saved to a disk. The XLS extension indicates that the “EXCEL” program was used to create the electronic spreadsheet file, and that the file is saved in an “EXCEL” specific format. In this manner, the file is associated with the corresponding electronic spreadsheet program.
The use of file extensions has several benefits. First, the file extension allows the user to quickly identify the electronic files that are associated with a particular application when the user views a list of files contained within a directory or a folder. Second, and more importantly, the extension associates the electronic file with the particular application program which was used to create the file. The logical association, which is typically stored in a look-up table within the computer system or disk, allows simple, easy file management by the user.
For example, the user can open an electronic file by selecting the electronic file with a pointing device, such as a mouse. The computer operating system retrieves the extension, locates the extension in the look-up table stored in the computer system or disk, and retrieves and launches the associated application program using the electronic file as input.
Another method of associating an electronic file with an application program is to write an identifier tag within the electronic file to indicate which application program is associated with the electronic file. The identifier tag associates the format of the electronic file with a particular application and is stored within the electronic file itself. The logical association of the external identifier tag to the particular application is stored in a look-up table in the computer system or hard disk drive.
However, each prior method of file identification has the drawback that only one application program can be associated with an electronic file. Usually, this does not pose a problem to users because most electronic file operations can be performed by one application program. However, there are instances when an electronic file needs to be associated with two or more different application programs.
For example, if an electronic file is created using the “EXCEL” spreadsheet program and is saved in a Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) format, the electronic file needs to be associated with two application programs. First, the electronic file needs to be associated with a browser application program, such as Microsoft's Internet Explorer, so that the user can view the content of the HTML-formatted file. Second, the file needs to be associated with the “EXCEL” program to allow the user to edit the content of the electronic file. Typically, the electronic file is associated with the application program capable of viewing the file format. In the example above, the application associated with the HTML file would be the browser application. This single association restriction can be frustrating and lead to problems for the user. If the user wishes to edit the file, the user must know which application program was used to create the electronic file. However, if the user forgets which application program was used to create the electronic file, or if the user is not the same person who created the electronic file, there may be no easy way to determine which application is associated with the electronic file. If the user wants to edit an electronic file but does not know which application program was used to create it, the user usually must attempt to open the electronic file in each computer application program on the computer operating system until the appropriate application program is found. This process can be time-consuming, inefficient, and frustrating. Thus, there is a need for an improved method to identify, open and edit an electronic file in an application program, which was used to create the file.
Prior attempts to solve this problem include designating a separate program as a default editor to edit the electronic file. That is, each time an edit command is executed by the user in regard to an electronic file, the electronic file is opened in the designated default editor. For example, a text editor may be designated as the default editor for HTML-formatted files. Therefore, when a user selects an HTML-formatted file to edit, the HTML-formatted file is opened in the text editor program, regardless of whether the file was created in a spreadsheet program or a word processing program. As a result, the user may not be able to edit files as they wish, if at all. Specifically, the user may not be able to edit an HTML-formatted file created using “EXCEL” if the default editor is a text-editing program. This inability to edit the HTML file is a frustrating process that can lead to numerous errors.
Thus, there is a need in the art for a method of associating an electronic file with both the program used to view the file and with the program used to create the electronic file, so that a user can easily and quickly edit the electronic file.